WHEREAS many mid-sized and small municipalities have lost the services of their local BC Assessment Authority office, as operations have been centralized and consolidated to larger regional centres; AND WHEREAS such loss of local assessment services has resulted in an inequitable, unfair inconvenience and cost as small-town taxpayers are required to travel, in the dead of winter, to have their assessment appeals heard in regional centres, usually at great distances from the communities in which the appeals were launched: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request that the BC Assessment Authority hear assessment appeals, if necessary through electronic means, in mid-sized and small municipalities in order that taxpayers are not faced with the inconvenience and financial burden of winter travel to regional centres.
Ministry of Community, Sport Cultural Development Responsibility for the appointment and location of Property Assessment Review Panels Panels the first level of the property assessment complaint and appeal process rests with the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ministry. Each year, 70 to 75 Panels are appointed to hear property assessment complaints in communities throughout the Province. The location of a Panel is largely dependent on the number of complaints filed in an area in a given year. The Ministry is cognizant of the fact that the chosen location of a Panel, particularly for those in rural communities, will likely result in some property owners travelling to the Panel location in order to attend a hearing in person. If a property owner is unable to attend a Panel hearing in person, there are a number of options available for the submission of evidence. For example, property owners have always had the option to provide evidence in written form thereby avoiding the need to attend the hearing in person. In addition, upon request, some hearings have been conducted by teleconference. The Ministry, through the Property Assessment Review Panel Administration Office, is committed to customer service and is open to examining accommodations that may be needed to address the needs of property owners who are unable to travel to a hearing location. We must however balance these accommodations with fiscal responsibility and fairness to all taxpayers.
BC Assessment Please note that while BC Assessment is a party to every hearing before the Property Assessment Review Panel first level of appeal and the Property Assessment Appeal Board second level of appeal, we do not determine the location of hearings. Both of these tribunals operate independently from BC Assessment and fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Community, Sport Cultural Development. In any location either tribunal believes it is appropriate to hold a hearing, BC Assessment will ensure staff are available. However, emerging technology may enable alternate methods of hearings in a variety of locations without associated increases in costs. BC Assessment is supportive of investigating alternatives to in-person hearings that may also improve customer service.